Veteran sports writer Jim Utter covers NASCAR for The Charlotte Observer and its racing site, ThatsRacin.com. In this space, Jim writes about all things NASCAR and other forms of racing which may also be relevant ... or not.

Friday, October 19, 2012

Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) and Ford Racing announced today they will
continue their manufacturer partnership. The announcement ensures that Richard
Petty Motorsports' two NASCAR Sprint Cup race teams and its Nationwide Series
race team will race under the Ford Racing banner into 2013. It will be the
fourth consecutive season the team has raced with the manufacturer.
Subsequently, RPM will continue its services contract with Roush-Fenway Racing
and Roush-Yates Racing to supply new Ford Fusions and Ford horsepower for its
entries.

RPM has a winning
record with Ford Racing. The team has two wins in the Sprint Cup Series and one
win in the Nationwide Series with the blue oval. Over the past three seasons,
RPM has also earned eight poles, 74 top-10 and 26 top-five finishes with the
manufacturer in both the Cup and Nationwide Series.

"Our team
relationship with Ford Racing has helped us win races and be competitive in both
the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series," said Richard Petty, co-owner of Richard
Petty Motorsports. "They have been our partner over the past three seasons and
we're proud to continue that relationship into next season, especially with the
debut of the new Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series. We expect to continue to
win races and challenge for championships in both series with Ford
Racing."RPM will continue to
enter the No. 9 Ford Fusion with partners Stanley and DEWALT and the No. 43
Ford Fusion with Smithfield Foods and its family of brands, Smithfield, Eckrich,
Farmland and Gwaltney, in the Sprint Cup Series, as well as the No. 43
Pilot/Flying J Ford Mustang with driver Michael Annett in the NASCAR Nationwide
Series."We're delighted
Richard Petty Motorsports will continue to run Fords going forward," said Jamie
Allison, director, Ford Racing. "The team has certainly gained momentum this
year, and together we believe the continued Ford technical tools and engineering
support will further enable RPM the opportunity to win more races and be a
contender to get drivers into the Chase in 2013."Richard's presence
means so much to this sport, to the fans, and to us, and we are proud to have
the King and RPM with Ford."Richard Petty
Motorsports first partnered full-time with Ford Racing at the beginning of the
2010 season. The manufacturer currently supports RPM drivers Marcos Ambrose,
Aric Almirola and Annett. The team is currently in the process of securing its
Sprint Cup Series driver agreements.\